Folding for a friend, and a cause (Please Read)

EOC_JasonEOC_Jason
edited January 2004 in Folding@Home
I'm sure by now most of you people know who I am, I'm the owner of Extreme Overclocking (and I do the EOC Folding Stats too).

Recently one of our forum members (and F@H team captain), Gary Shrum (aka Shroomer), just suddenly dissapeared off the face of the earth. Well, to make a long story short we finally got word from his wife and discovered (somewhat ironically) he was diagnosed with cancer and has been in the hospital, I'm assuming since late November / early December (which is when we last heard from him).

He has already had one surgery, and is scheduled to have another one next week. It's still undetermined how much longer he will be in the hospital.

Shroomer has been very active in the folding community and I'm sure some of you have chatted with him before. He's so dedicated to FAH that he even explained to his wife how to get all his machines back up and running when they stopped folding a week or so ago (while he is still in the hospital).

Anyhow, here is a thread over at our forum, there is an address if you would like to send him a get well card, or you can post a message, or whatever. We are all still really worried since we know so little about his condition, and I'm sure many people are praying for him to get better.

This gives us all one more reason to fold too. Members at our forum who were never interested in folding before now are joining up since learning of Shroomer's condition. I know that is going to make Gary very happy because F@H is so very important to him.

Even if you don't know Gary, please think of him as you are participating in F@H, and that each machine you have folding isn't for rankings, it's to help out people like him.

Comments

  • muddocktormuddocktor
    edited January 2004
    Thanks for the update on Shroomer, Jason. I pop over your your folding forums every now and then and I had seen the thread you all had going about where you all were wondering where he had disappeared to. I'm so sorry that the news about Gary is so bad; we have a team member here who just found out his Dad has cancer and he will be starting radiation treatment very soon. I remember seeing Shroomer post over at the folding community quite a bit and I know that he is very active with the project.

    I see in that thread you linked to that he has prostate cancer. Luckily, most prostate cancers are relatively slow moving and are very treatable. I know because my father had prostate cancer and they were able to kill the tumor with inserting a radioactive gold pellet next to his prostate, followed by radiation treatment. I will definitely post up there and also add him on my prayer list along with Clutch's Dad for the Lord to cure these folks.


    The competition is fun but diseases like this are the real reason that I participate in this project. If my contributions will help further the understanding of the causes of Alzheimers or cancer and help us along to a cure for them, then the money I've spent building and running my farm has been well spent. Who knows, maybe some cure will come from this project eventually that will help to save my life or the life of someone close to me later on in life.
  • mmonninmmonnin Centreville, VA
    edited January 2004
    Sorry to hear this. I think I do remember seeing a thread about Shroomer but never realy looked as I was working things out with you. He has my wishes.

    Mudd: So is that how they coined the phrase 'brass balls?'
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Geeky, in my own way Naples, FL Icrontian
    edited January 2004
    Yeah, the friend or relative and the cause is why we all fold and why some of us are so stubborn about folding-- these days, me included. There are so many older folks down here, some octogenarians or centenarians, who gradually find themselves falling apart inside as molecules form into strange things that overwhelm the bodies's defenses, and the present treatments are so radical, that we need better ways to fight them. Lending spare time on a couple to a few boxes is a good way to contribute. A VERY good way, imho.

    I hope Shroomer fully recovers soon, the teams need their leaders BIG TIME, and his wife will be happier with him recovered also. You can tell him others even not of his team are motivated by the need to fight this stuff any way we constructively can, and hearing real details helps to motivate and reinforce our commitment to the cause.

    John.
  • edcentricedcentric near Milwaukee, Wisconsin Icrontian
    edited January 2004
    Thanks for the note Jason. Sometimes it is hard to remember how big the folding community really is. It is hard to keep track of what is going on.

    The long range goal of new treatments is a big motivator. My Dad has survived both prostate and bladder cancer, he has a pacemaker and he suffers from Parkinsons. He isn't doing too bad, but we all hope for a day when we can do better.
  • GnomeWizarddGnomeWizardd Member 4 Life Akron, PA Icrontian
    edited January 2004
    Wow. That is some bad news. I know most of us here fold but this is another incentive to fold. When i die even if we find a cure 10 years down the road my folding will not have been in vain! My prayers go out to Shroomer
  • csimoncsimon Acadiana Icrontian
    edited January 2004
    Update ...guess who's back?

    http://forums.extremeoverclocking.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=80880
  • DanGDanG I AM CANADIAN Icrontian
    edited January 2004
    Just signed up over there to wish him the best of luck.
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited January 2004
    It seems that we are reminded on a daily basis just why it is we Fold. Here's wishing Shroomer a speedy recovery.

    For a cure: :fold::fold::fold:
  • ShroomerShroomer Springfield,IL
    edited January 2004
    First I have to thank Jason for posting this info here at ShrotMedia. :wave:

    Thanks for all the the warm heart fealt words man. You are a great friend of mine, I will never forget you and the members at EOCF no matter what happens to me in my life time.

    Also to all the members of the folding @ Home comunity and this forum, Thank you very much for all the nice comints and concerns you have posted. I have always been the type of guy who looks for the good in every situation and if my illness has boosted moral and helped new members join the team here and at EOCF that is great. There is so many reasons some of us fold (competitive nature, A relitive that may be ill, A friend that has passed on due to a illness and many other reasons). The main thing is that we all keep in mind that this is a project to help mankind and to benifit all of us in some way or another now or in the distant future. Just maybe someday in the distant future something one of us did today with the project will cure a fatal illness that a distant not yet bourn relative is suffering from. That is something I always try to keep in mind when I am buying a new part or building a new rig for folding, it also keeps me motivated in the project to try and help all newcomers and welcome any size rig to the project.

    Anyways I just want to let you guys know here that I am glad to be in such a wonderfull project with so many people with that helpfull spirit. :cheers:

    I will try to stop in here from time to time just to say "Hey whats up".

    Shroomer :D
Sign In or Register to comment.